| Adventures
In Peru |
| Peru's
Manu Biosphere Reserve |
| Situated
in the remote southwestern region of the Amazon Basin and said to have
the highest biological diversity of any rainforest in the world is Peru’s
Manu Biosphere Reserve. Manu covers a total of 4.5 million acres of
pristine rainforest from the crystalline cloud-forest streams to the sluggish,
chocolate-brown rivers of the dense lowland jungle. Manu’s environment
has been unchanged for thousands of years, thus allowing more species of
plants and animals to evolve here than in any other similar area of the
world.
With numerous
guide services from which to choose and a wide range of trip styles available,
we settled on a four-day excursion with Ecological Tours. |
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| Over the course
of our trip we would travel by 4-wheel drive van, mountain bike, whitewater
raft, and zip-lines. Though most trips were based around wildlife
viewing, Ecological Tours offers adventure-based tourism in the Manu jungle.
In
addition, they pride themselves on being the only company to offer a canopy
tour, a series of horizontal traverse cables called zip-lines that sail
through the jungle using platforms and pulleys.
Encompassing
almost two million hectares of virgin cloud and rainforest on the foothills
of the Eastern Andes, Manu National Park was elevated to the status of
Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1977, and in 1987 it became a World Natural
Heritage Site. In "Manu, the Last Refuge” Walter H. Wust writes, “Manu
sprawls over the southeastern corner of Peru, running from the edge of
the cold altiplano above the treeline, dropping 3,500 meters across the
slopes of the Andes and spreading into the Amazonian lowlands. Manu is
probably the most biologically diverse preserve on earth, and much of the
park is still terra incognita.” From Cusco the road to Manu travels
through dramatic terrain where deep valleys lead to the spectacular eastern
ranges of the Andes and small farmsteads dot the picturesque landscape. |
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| After leaving
the colonial town of Paucartambo the road begins its ascent to Acjanaco
Pass (3850m), the official entrance to Manu National Park and our first
view of the mystical Cloud Forest. High above the sea of clouds we
stood mesmerized as we looked down upon an ocean that covered a rainforest.
We marveled at cascading waterfalls and colorful orchids as the road descended
into a thick cloak of clouds. This fascinating world is home to the
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, the Spectacled Bear, countless orchids, tree ferns,
mosses and lichens.
Starting
from the eastern slope of the Andes, the Manu Biosphere Reserve protects
one of the planet’s most important forest wildernesses. Manu was designated
as a world biosphere reserve because it shelters the best example of biodiversity
in rainforest protected areas, as well as cloud forest endemic areas. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| Manu has
become famous for its possibilities to observe the flora and especially
the fauna of the Amazonian rainforest. With over 1000 species of birds,
Manu has one out of every nine on Earth, and 200 more than the entire USA.
On a single salt lick 530 species were recorded in one year alone.
Only a short
walk from the Cloud Forest Lodge, a viewing platform looked out into the
jungle where morning sunshine spilled through the canopy of trees in sharp
rays of light. An attractive bird with predominately red and blue feathers,
the
Cock-of-the-Rock appeared almost on-call, landing in the trees before us,
its ruby red body gleaming upon a nearby branch. Only seconds later,
the scarlet bird was joined by a host of companions, filling the fluorescent
jungle canopy with bursts of firelight and cobalt as the males proudly
displayed their crests.
Another
unique feature of Manu Biosphere Reserve is that it offers the possibility
of traveling overland through a variety of ecosystems, from the high
Andean to lowland Amazonian, through elfin forest and cloud forest ecosystems.
Along a 38-km stretch of gravel we would descend from the enchanted cloud
forest to the Rio Madre de Dios. |
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| Having
spent a fair amount of time traveling by bike in the States, we were a
little reluctant to saddle up on the two-wheeled machines later to be known
as the “Peruvian nightmares.” Knowing that our brakes were perhaps
the single most important element involved in a six-hour descent over 2,000
feet, we were skeptical upon realization that the bikes provided by our
guides were lacking this very thing.
The descent
was gradual though and we spent far more time spellbound by the dense mat
of vegetation surrounding us. We attempted to identify and photograph
as many species of orchid and butterfly as possible, but in a jungle that
contains the highest biodiversity in the world, this proved a rather daunting
task.
For flora and
fauna, the Manu Biosphere Reserve is pretty much unbeatable in South America. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| In a reserve
that contains over 20,000 vascular plant types, one five-square-kilometer
area was found to contain 1147 species of vascular plants, almost as many
as in the whole of Great Britain. The park contains over 5000 flowering
plants, 1200 species of butterfly, 200 kinds of mammal, 13 species of monkey
and an unknown quantity of reptiles and insects. It is also the refuge
of many endangered animals, including jaguar, black caiman, giant otter
and harpy eagle.
Our journey
into Manu took us from dusty roads to rolling rivers. We traded our
bikes for a raft and after a brief instruction headed into the Rio Madre
de Dios nearly meeting disaster in our first rapid. The Peruvian paddling
techniques were a bit lacking, our guide instructing us to abandon our
positions when faced with oncoming rapids and throw our bodies onto the
side of the raft. Nevertheless, we meandered down the jungle river spotting
birds along the way and marveling at the immensity of the rainforest.
Ringed by hills
and thick, vibrant jungle, we arrived at the Erika Lodge, a gorgeous and
serene spot situated on the banks of Rio Madre de Dios with a dining area,
showers and rooms equipped with beds and ample mosquito netting. We spent
two nights at Erika Lodge and rather enjoyed its comfortable setting. It
was a pleasant spot to relax with a real “in the jungle” feel - scarlet
macaws and all.
From the lodge
a well-worn footpath disappeared into an abyss of trees, ferns and foliage.
Intriguing and beautiful, the jungle was cloaked in dampness and life,
wondrous color and an abundance of wildlife. It was a mystical land
with sounds echoing everywhere. Shrieks and cries. Branches breaking as
unidentified creatures scattered through the trees. It felt so abundant
with life; yet so void of humans.
The trail led
to the first of several platforms built around great trees that disappeared
into the canopy above. We connected our pulleys and dropped from
a height of several hundred feet, suspended by our harnesses to cables
that stretched between trees. Picking up speed as we crossed the jungle
mid-air, we screeched through the rainforest like howler monkeys leaping
between branches. Each of the zip-lines grew in height, distance and speed
and provided spectacular views, allowing us to see the world from a unique
and different perspective, if only for a few seconds.
We left Erika
Lodge on the fourth morning slipping upstream on the Rio Madre de Dios
in a long, narrow transport boat. A misty morning fog blanketed the treetops
and shielded the sky from view. Small raindrops pelted the murky waters
while our guides slept comfortably under the roof of the boat, a far cry
from the days of paddling upstream in dugout canoes. Instead, our modern
vessel sped forward powered by a small outboard engine. It only took a
short time to reach the village and board the bus for our long ride home.
We felt a sting of discontent as we watched a land of hidden treasures,
hiding animals, and ecological enchantment disappear in the rear-view mirror,
soon to be replaced by bustling streets and city lights. With a surface
too deep to scratch in just four days, we had to depart the jungle after
just a taste. It was a love affair that had to begin somewhere and Manu
had forever sparked my interest.
The following
articles are Kyle's previous articles for the magazine:
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